Saturday, March 26, 2011

My best shot at an ID:Dicentra cucullariaPlant family: Fumariaceae (Fumitory - Bleeding Heart)Habitat: Rich moist woods, shaded ledges and banks, especially north slopes. Locally abundant especially the mountains.Range: North Dakota to Quebec and south as far as northern Georgia. Very scattered locations in the southern part of range. Also found in a few northwestern states.Plant Type: Native perennial.Flower description: The flowers are irregular in shape and are up to 1.75cm long (0.7 inches). Flowers actually have 4 petals, the inner ones are very small. The pair of outer petals form a swollen 'V' making the hanging flower look like a pair of breeches hung upside-down. Lore: Native Americans used Dutchman's Breeches as a love potion and in making love charms.

We are pretty much at the southern limit of this unusual little flower's range. Jo and I have only found it growing in one location in the area we normal frequent. It's abundant exactly where the guide books say it should be: A rich woodland shaded by a ledge on a north slope.

To see and enjoy more flowers from around the world, please visit Today's Flowers.

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comments:

Oh my gosh! I haven't seen these since I was a little girl in Wisconsin, walking thru the woods and creeks. But as soon as I saw the title of your post, I remembered EXACTLY what they were! Thanks for the greatness of transporting me back!

Most of the bleeding hearts here are red but there are some white. My mother has them all over her garden since they seem to spread their seeds so well. I love them but we won't see them for a while yet - still too cold!